How would you do?

Car Maintenance

I had to do some of this as part of my big bike test a few years ago.

Show em how to check the oil, where the brakes were and how to check tyres. Asked a few questions too about how to put petrol in etc.

Was all common sense tbh.

It does not say what % were women and what % of the failures were woman
If most women are like my wife who refuses to lean where any thing is well !!

I have had to go through the "Show me Tell me" bit with my wife who is an instructor..Fortunately, she is a willing pupil unlike some of hers! :yesnod:

Years ago I was in the middle of a NATO Tactical Evalution (several days of simulated war while being examined by men with clip boards) and was the Fighter Allocator managing our air defence fighters along the east coast of the UK when my assistant said 'your wife is on the 'phone'. I knew she would only ring in a crisis so I took the call and the message was 'I was going in to town with Gill when the car conked out at the junction - what do I do?'. The car in question was a 2CV and I instantly suspected a loose lead in the electronic ignition system I'd fitted just days before to try to persuade the thing to start better in the cold (I always suspect anything I've fixed!). So I said 'just pop-up the bonnet and you will see an orange box with some wires - just makes sure that all the wires look connected and if they are not ring back and tell me exactly which colour one is loose'. She rang off (phone box of course - pre-mobile days). Five minutes later and with the air war raging she rings again with the question 'how do I open the bonnet?. 'Feel under the centre of the front bumper and there is a metal handle, pull it upwards!' I rang off. She rang again, 'you did say push the handle didn't you?' 'No it was pull' 'OK that explains why it didn't move so I pushed it a bit harder and it came off in my hand!'. Deep intake of breath....'ring the local garage'...'I just did and they said they won't touch Citroens'. 'OK so lock the bloody thing and catch a bus'. By this point even the German examiner plugged-in to my headset channel was laughing.

Two days later when I emerged in to daylight and got home the car was sitting on the drive. One of the other wives had spotted her and given her a tow home - I'm grateful I didn't know that was happening otherwise I'd have been even more distracted. Popped the bonnet with a screw driver and sure enough it was all my fault anyway. At least we passed the Taceval with an A!

Richard

PS, yes it is raining outside and I'm bored

With the MGs, for some reason I seem to be able to recognise even the most obscure parts. I even recognised the little plastic "cup" that pulls off the back of the headlight when someone posted them up.

As for Annes Nissan Leaf, I can't even find the spark plugs. :woowoo:

On Tacevals I always used to volunteer to help the armourer as the armoury was out of bounds and you could lock the door and take your mask off. You had to remember to put it over your face when talking on the phone though.

cjj wrote: On Tacevals I always used to volunteer to help the armourer as the armoury was out of bounds and you could lock the door and take your mask off. You had to remember to put it over your face when talking on the phone though.

A good plan. My worst Taceval (from a comfort point of view) was on exchange with the Dutch. Sixteen hours of intense duty then you had to fight your way to your accommodation which was a field of tents before fighting your way back to the bunker. It was in August and it was very warm in the army issue tents. We also had to wear the full NBC gear including the over boots for 16 hour stretches. A great way to spend your 30th birthday! Still a few years later on the top of Mount Kent trying to sleep fully clothed with my boots on in an unheated ISO container with 20 other guys, I'd have been pleased to have had that tent and some warmth.

Well off topic now!

Richard

Byron man myself, but I did go to Kent and Alice as well.